Apparatus for trimming the top lifts of heels



Feb. 18, 1930. N. H. KNOWLTON 1,747,305

APPARATUS FOR TRICMMING THE TOP LIFTS OF HEELS Original Filed June 8. 927

HWMM- MBQ Fatentecl Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE NORWOOD H. KNOWLTON, OF ROOKPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING THE TOP LIFTS OF HEELS Original application filed June 8, 1927, Serial No. 197,392. Divided and this application filed August 4,

This invention relates to heel-trimming machines and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for trimming the top lift of a heel flush with a heel body that has previously had the final shape imparted to it. The present application is a division of my former application Serial No. 197,392, filed June 8, 1927.

When leather top lifts are attached to heels it is the practice to place the flesh side of-the leather against the heels so that the grain side of the leather will be at the tread surface. In the manufacture of covered heels commonly applied to womens shoes, the bodies of the heels are first shaped to final form, then the covering material is applied to them, the lower margins of the covering material being usually folded over upon and cemented to the attaching faces of the heels, then oversize top lifts are attached and ultimately trimmed as nearly flush as possible with the covering material on the heel bodies. It is with such trimming of top lifts that the present invention is concerned.

Machines heretofore proposed for performing trimming operations of the kind above referred to may be divided into two classes or types, in one of which a rotary trimming cutter provided with cutting teeth is arranged to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the top lift being trimmed and driven in a direction that causes the cutting edges to cut across the top lift from the attaching face to the tread face thereof.

In the other type of machine above referred to, a rotary toothed cutter is also used but its axis of rotation is substantially at right angles to the plane of the top lift and the cutting edges therefore move and cut circumferentially of the top lift, that is, lengthwise of the perimeter of the top lift rather than crosswise.

Machines of the type first referred to are objectionable for several reasons. For example, the cross-cutting action of the cutter precludes trimming the top lift quite flush with the body of the heel without marring the heel cover, since it would be neccssary for the cutting edges to scrape the exposed surface of Serial No. 297,499.

the cover adjacent to the top lift incidentally to producing flush trimming. Again, the cross-cutting actionof the cutter precludes using that cutter to bevel the margin of the grain surface of the top lift and also pre eludes forming an ornamental bead on the trimmed perimeter of the top lift.

In a machine of the second type referred to the cutting edges of the rotary cutter are at right angles to the plane of the attaching face of the top lift and they leave a rag or fuzz that projects from the relatively soft, spongy substance at the flesh side of a leather top lift. v In view of the conditions above explained an object of this invention is to provide an improved top-lift-trimming machine and an improved trimming cutter by which the top lifts of previously shaped heels may be trimmed flush with the bodies of the heels and by which, at the same time, the margins of the tread faces of the top lifts may be beveled, and by which an ornamental bead may be formed on the trimmed perimeters of the top lifts, all without doing any injury to the bodies of the heels and without leaving any rag or fuzz projecting from the top lifts.

Accordingly a novel feature of the invention consists in arranging a rotary trimming cutter to rotate about an axis that extends heightwise of a heel held in operative position, and providing the cutter with cutting teeth having oblique cutting edges arranged to force the stock at the attaching face of the top lift toward the tread face thereof. The

illustrated machine is also provided with a tread rest against which the top lift is forced by the oblique cutting edges and by which the attaching face of the top lift may be registered with one end of the cutter to insure trimming the entire thickness of the top lift without permitting the body of the heel to touch the cutter. The illustrated machine is also provided with a trimming gage ar-- ranged to engage the body of the heel adjacent to the top lift and thereby control the depth of out to insure flush trimming.

In another aspect a novel feature of the invention consists in a rotary cutter provided with cutting teeth for trimming the perimeter of a top lift attached to a heel, the teeth q as having oblique cutting edges formed to trim the top lift flush with the body of the heel and arranged to force the stock at the attaching face of the top lift toward the tread face thereof. The teeth of the illustrated cutter are provided with inclined lips formed and arranged to bevel the margin of the tread face of the top lift, and are also provided with notches formed and arranged to produce an ornanietal bead on the perimeter of the top lift.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a trimming machine embodying the present invention, a previously shapedheel being represented in operative position and its top lift being represented as having been partially trimmed; I

Fig.2 is a perspective view of an improved trimm ng cutter made in accordance with the inventlon Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view representing the trimming cutter in front elevation and a top lift in process of being trimmed thereby and Fig. 4 represents a top plan view of a heel and a portion of one tooth of the trimming cutter operating on the top lift thereof, as indicated by broken line H of Fig. 3.

To facilitate reference to my aforesaid application, the reference numerals used therein are applied to corresponding parts illustrated in the drawings of the present application.

The frame of the illustrated machine includes a head 10 provided with suitable bearings for a horizontal cutter shaft 16, one of said bearings being indicated at 14 in Fig. 1. A rotary trimming cutter 20 is affixed to the forward end of the shaft 16 by wellknown means comprising an expansible split sleeve 28, a clamping screw 34 and a washer 36. The shaft 16 is provided with a frustoconical extension 26 on which the sleeve 28 is seated, thesleeve being internally tapered to fit the extension 26 and being provided with a. flange 30 against which the rear end of the hub 32 of the cutter abuts. screw 34 is tightened its head forces the washer 36, the cutter 20 and the expansible sleeve 28 toward the larger end of the frustoconical extension 26 so that the sleeve is expanded to develop a tight fit in the bore of the cutter.

A tread-rest l0 is arranged under the trimming cutter 20 and is supported by a bracket 66 to which it is connected by horizontal trunnions 62 that provide for angular adjustment of the tread-rest in accordance with the profiles of various types or styles of heels. An arm 68 projecting from the tread-rest is arranged to be clamped against a face of the bracket 66 and is provided with a segmental slot 70 through which a screw 72 projects from the bracket. A wing nut When the- 7 4 on the screw 72 serves to apply clamping pressure to the arm 68.

The bracket 66 is carried by a member 76 to which it is rigidly connected by clamping bolts 78, but vertical slots formed in the bracket for the reception of these bolts provide for vertical adjustment of the treadrest. Such adjustment may be made by a screw 80 having screw connection with a fixture 83 and arranged to abut against the bottom surface of the bracket 66.

Provision is also made for adjusting the tread-rest horizontally in lines parallel to the axis about which the cutter rotates. For this purpose the member 76 is provided with a horizontal stem 82 arranged to slide in a bearing bored in the frame or head 10. The rear end of the stem 82 is provided with an external screw-thread with which a nut 84 cooperates, the head 10 being provided with a hole or cavity in which the nut is arranged so that it may be rotated but may not move axially. The member 7 6 and the fixture 83 are formed to engage one another and to provide a mortise connection for the purpose of securing the member 76 rigidly in the desired position. A clamping screw 85 ex tends through the fixture 83 to tighten the mortise connection between the fixture and the head 76 after the necessary or desiredhorizontal adjustment of the head 76 has been made.

To limit the depth of the trimming cut so that the top lift 90 of a heel 88 may be trimmed flush with the body of the heel, the illustrated machine is provided with a trimming gage 86 arranged in front of the cutter 20 so that its lower edge will engage the body of the heel adjacent to the top lift. The gage 86 has a vertical rib-an'd-groove connection with a fixture 92 secured to the frame 10, and is provided with a slot 98 through which the stem of a wing bolt 94 extends. A plate 96 and a washer are interposed between the head of the wing bolt and the gage 86 so that when the wing bolt is tightened the plate 96 will clamp the gage tightly to the fixture 92. An adjusting screw 100 is screwed into the fixture 92 and is provided with a flange or collar 102 a seg ment of which occupies a notch formed in the upper portion of the gage 86, the screw 100 being thus effective to adjust the gage vertically when the wing bolt 94 is relaxed. As shown in Fig. 1, the lower edge of the gage 86 is flush with the bed of the cutting tooth at the bottom of the cutter, this being the adjustment necessary to permit flush trimming. From time to time, as the effective diameter of the cutter is diminished in consequence of grinding its teeth to sharpenits cutting edges, the gage 86 may be raised by suitable adjustment of the screw 100.

The illustrated cutter 20 is provided with a series of cutting teeth 21 each having an oblique cutting edge 22. Referring to Fig.

4, in which the direction of movement of one of the teeth 21 is indicated by an arrow, it is to be observed that the cutting edge 22, while 5 moving lengthwise of the perimeter of the top lift, exercises a component of axial thrust on the top lift by which the top lift is pressed against the tread-rest 40 and by which the substance at the attaching face 91 of the top lift is forced toward the tread face 93 thereof. Thus, the relatively firm and dense substance at the tread side of a leather top lift is caused to function as a cutting bed for the relatively soft and spongy substance at the flesh side, and as a result the cutting edges 22, when moderately sharp, will trim the top lift without leaving any rag or fuzz projecting therefrom.

It is to be observed that when the attach- 2e ing face 91 of the top lift is registered with the front face 23 of the cutter, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, there is no possibility of marring the body of the heel, even when the gage 86 is adjusted to permit flush trimming, 25 since no part of the cutter laps the body of the heel.

The cutting teeth of the illustrated cutter are also provided with inclined lips 25 arranged to bevel the margin 95 of the tread so face of the top lift and thus to prevent forming what is known as a feather edge. The teeth of the cutter are also shown as provided with notches 24 arranged to produce a head 97 on the trimmed perimeter of the top lift. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bevelling lips 25 and the notches 24 merge one into another so that the head 97 formed on the top lift is flush with the beveled margin 95.

In using the illustrated machine, the

operator presents a heel 88 manually to the tread-rest 40 and raises it until the body of the heel is arrested by the trimming gage 86.

The preferred mode of procedure is to start the trimming at one side of the breast 99 (see as Fig. 3) and to turn the heel in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cutter rotates, meanwhile maintaining the tread face of the top lift firmly seated against the tread rest 40. The trimming is thus caused to progress circumferentially around the sides and back of the top lift from one side of the breast to the other.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for trimming the top lift of a heel, a tread-rest, a rotary trimming cutter the axis of which extends heightwise of a 50 heel held in operative position against said tread-rest, said cutter being provided with cutting teeth having oblique cutting edges arranged to trim the perimeter of the top lift with draw cuts that progress lengthwise of G5 the perimeter but exercise a component of axial thrust by which the top lift is pressed against said tread-rest.

2. In a machine for trimming the top lift of a heel, a rotary trimming cutter provided with cutting teeth having oblique cutting edges arranged to trim the perimeter of a top lift, and means arranged to position a heel so that said teeth will cut lengthwise of said perimeter and trim the latter flush with the body of the heel, the obliquity of said cutting edges being such as to force the stock at the attaching face of the top lift toward the tread face thereof.

3. In a machine for trimming the perimeter of a top lift attached to a previouslyshaped heel, a tread-rest and a rotary trimming cutter the axis of which extends heightwise of a heel held in operative position against said tread-rest, said cutter being provided with cutting teeth having oblique cutting edges formed to trim the top lift flush with the body of the heel and arranged to force the stock at the attaching face of the top lift toward the tread face thereof, said teeth also having inclined cutting portions arranged to bevel the margin of the tread face of the top lift.

4. A rotary cutter provided with cutting teeth for trimming the perimeter of a top lift attached to a heel, said teeth having oblique cutting edges formed to trim the top lift flush with the body of the heel and arranged to force the stock at the attaching face of the top lift toward the tread face thereof, said teeth also having inclined lips formed and arranged to bevel the margin of the tread face of the top lift.

5. A rotary cutter provided with cutting teeth for trimming the perimeter of a top lift attached to a heel, said teeth having oblique cutting edges formed to trim the top lift flush with the body of the heel and arranged to force the stock at the attaching face of the top lift toward the tread face thereof, said teeth also having notches formed and arranged to produce an ornamental head on the perimeter of the top lift.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

NORWVOOD H. KNOWLTON. 

